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Timbaland Backs Down From Criticism of Drake's Aaliyah Project

In September 2012 Hot 97 interview, Angie Martinez asked Timbaland and Missy Elliott for their opinions of the posthumous Aaliyah album that was, at the time, reportedly being helmed by Drake. In the interview, Tim and Missy—close collaborators and best friends to the deceased singer—sounded guarded, as if they knew it would be best if they didn't express their true feelings. But it was easy to read between the lines and detect both sadness and anger that a new jack like Drake had been tapped to help out with the project first.

There was no real fallout from this—Drake and Tim had collaborated on Shock Value 2 track "Say Something" then met up again on Justin Timberlake's "Cabaret" and on a new song with Jay Z and James Fauntleroy called "Know Bout Me." But we know that Drake has a tendency to hold onto personal slights. Nonetheless, Tim seems to think now that he was wrong for criticizing Drake's involvement, saying in a new New York profile that he understands why Drake might have been put off by his disbelief.

“When I look back, I say, Man, I would feel some kind of way, too,” he says. “I was like, ‘You right, I’m wrong.’ ”

Drizzy, according to the piece, will appear on Tim's new album, which is called Textbook Timbo.